Bravery
by Subtlynice
Summary: High school students can be monstrous creatures at the best of times. Throw them a new source of gossip, and they'll tear it down like dogs. Luckily for Edward and Bella, Angela Weber might not be so meek after all... *APOV E/B New Moon missing moment*


**A/N**: This story is a scene from my multi-chapter EPOV story Thy Beauty from Angela's perspective, but can be read entirely separately as a New Moon missing moment. Thanks to everyone who reviewed Thy Beauty, and all those who encouraged me to write this one-shot.

Oh, and thanks to thalia_csiny for the help with choosing a title. And for generally being awesome.

**Disclaimer**: Stephenie Meyer owns it all.

* * *

Bravery

Something was different today.

The atmosphere was thick and tense. The air was charged with a new excitement – rumour must have been spreading like wildfire across the student body.

Everyone seemed to be babbling excitedly to each other, too, I noticed. It had been the same all day. Something _must_ have happened. A new student, perhaps? I remembered the gossip that had been flying through the school when Bella Swan had first arrived. And even worse – the gossip when the Cullens had arrived. That had been tumultuous – second only to the rumours spreading throughoutthe school when they had left without any warning.

As I walked into the cafeteria, I felt the stares of at least hundred classmates pass through me. Embarrassed, I ducked my head and practically ran to the salad bar, determined not to meet anyone's gazes, no matter if they were looking for me in particular or not.

Luckily, it seemed that no one was paying any attention to me anymore. Everyone's eyes seemed drawn inexplicably to the doors still, as though they were all waiting for the same person to arrive. And everyone who did walk through seemed to scan the cafeteria, also searching for this absent stranger, whose nonattendance was so strangely perceived today.

With every student's attention fixated elsewhere, the lunch queue seemed to move even slower than usual. Ridiculously, I found myself peering in the direction of the doors too, without knowing who I was searching for. Anxiety gnawed away in my stomach, but I couldn't fathom why. Unable to tolerate real food today, I brought chips and a coke from the distracted lunch server. I sat down warily at my usual table, picking at my unhealthy lunch and waiting anxiously for Ben. Like an eagle eyeing it's next prey, Jessica was swooping down at my side in an instant.

She dropped her own lunch tray at the table, knocking mine off-balance in the process. Lauren Mallory sat down beside her. Lauren's tray was empty. I saw her beady eyes zoom in on my lunch, before muttering something about "fashion before food" and turning away. I resisted the urge to flick a greasy chip at Jessica's modelling friend.

"Have you heard, Angela?" Jessica asked me now, in a scathing tone. "I mean, can you believe it?"

"Um," I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to hear Jessica's latest piece of gossip or not.

"I'm not sure I believe it, anyway," Lauren declared sniffily from beside Jess. "I mean, didn't this same thing happen last year? She wanders off for days on end only to come back with a broken leg, bringing her new _pet_ in tow. I mean, are you sure this isn't some kind of Bella Swan sympathy act? Maybe she's just vying for attention."

Bella? The gossip today was about Bella? I frowned, worried. Bella hadn't been in school now for… how long was it? Four days? And when I'd phoned her house, her father had told me she was out. Now that I thought about it again, he _had_ sounded unnecessarily edgy on the phone…

"Where is she?" I asked Jess, who had been in Bella's class before lunch. Jessica rolled her eyes.

"Oh, well of course, she's not here," she said snidely. "Bella has to make sure she's last into lunch, so that everybody can see her new trophy when she arrives."

"New?" Lauren muttered. "Hardly new. It's the same old trophy, she's just dragged it out for another polish. Making sure everybody sees that she's still got it, before it gets shipped off again."

Jess and Lauren giggled to themselves, and I was instantly confused. Trophy? This didn't sound like the Bella I knew. Bella had always been very modest in the past. And she hated attention. Jessica and Lauren really ought to know that by now.

I was stirred from my thoughts when I heard the chatter of the cafeteria inexplicably cease, only to start up again in hushed excitement. Another class had been excused, and more people were piling through the doorway. I looked up and saw Ben bounding towards me, a big smile on his face.

"Ang!" He beamed, taking my hand and grinning hugely as he sat down. "Can you believe it?"

I frowned. These were exactly the same words Jessica had used, but Ben's tone was very different. Instead of cynical, he seemed joyful. He seemed to be waiting for a reply, but I was still wondering how best to respond.

"Um," I said again.

"Hey, Angela!"

I froze, my mind turning blank. I knew that voice. It was…

Alice.

Alice Cullen was hurrying towards me, the epitome of elegance and grace. A warm, sunny smile graced her pale cheeks. She seemed oblivious to the stares she was attracting as she weaved in and out of lunchroom tables, tugging a terrified-looking Bella along in her wake. And following them, fingers entwined with hers, eyes darting across the room, lips pursed into a scowl, was...

Edward Cullen. Bella's... her _everything_. He was back.

And so was Bella.

Edward Cullen and Bella Swan were walking towards our table, hand in hand. The spark of life I'd seen emerging in Bella's eyes over the last few months had grown into the real thing. She looked... normal, finally. She looked happy.

And also terrified. But at least she seemed to be feeling something. I could hardly process what I was seeing.

Alice finally came to a halt at our table, and I looked up in giddy disbelief. The Cullens were back! But more importantly, so was Bella. This was a girl I'd thought lost to the world. The zombie she'd been replaced with was nowhere to be seen.

Alice grinned at me, sending my thought processes reeling again. This was just... too much to take in.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Edward Cullen asked in the same quiet, musical voice I remembered.

_Edward Cullen_. Edward and Alice Cullen stood before me, with Bella standing shyly in-between them, staring up at Edward's face and clutching his hand tightly in hers. I stared up at their beautiful faces. They didn't seem to have changed at all.

"Um," I said again, feeling really stupid now. Was that all I was capable of saying?

Edward smiled slightly at me, still waiting politely for an answer. I noticed Jess and Lauren furtively glancing up at them, while doing their best to appear uninterested in the conversation at our end of the table.

"Sure, go ahead," Ben said eagerly, and I could only stare as the three of them took their old places at our table, seemingly oblivious to the hushed chatter around them.

"So Angela," Alice sang as she sat down, a wide smile on her face, "how've you been?"

"Um… good," I choked out. Alice beamed back at me and I suddenly smiled so widely I thought my cheeks would burst.

"How've _you _been?" I asked them both eagerly. "How was LA? Why've you come back? Are you back for good? How long have you been back for? What-"

"Whoa Ang, one at a time, or you'll scare them," Ben said, grinning at my embarrassment when I realised almost everyone at our table was now staring at me rather than them. They were obviously wondering how shy, sweet Angela could possibly be the one person brave enough to ask these questions to their faces. But seeing Alice and Edward flanked on either side of Bella was the best sight I could have possibly asked for. She looked so happy, radiant, sitting there, staring up at Edward's face. I noticed with amusement that he was staring down at her too, with a bewildered expression on his face, almost as if he was wondering why she was there.

That didn't matter though. I knew now why Ben was so pleased – he must have known how happy it would make me to see Bella looking so overjoyed. She looked like all her dreams had come true. She still hadn't looked at me – her expression was just as surprised as Edward's as she stared up at him, slightly puzzled, as though she still wasn't quite sure whether he was really there or not.

Alice answered for me, smiling beautifully and launching into her story with enthusiasm. I sighed. I'd missed Alice. I hadn't known her for very long, and I'd only just started to get used to being on speaking terms with her when she'd left, but I'd liked Bella's friend. She could be so fun, so exuberant. You know, when she wasn't being scary, as only a Cullen could be.

"We've been good," she chimed with a laugh. "Well, most of us have been good. Edward's been a love-sick puppy, but it looks like that's all settled now." She jerked a thumb at her brother, and then nudged him playfully when he didn't respond. He simply smiled slightly, without taking his eyes from Bella's dazed face. Alice rolled her eyes and carried on.

"LA was nice and… sunny," she grinned, "but Esme missed the small town life – and Edward missed the small town girl – so we came back. For good. We've just been back a couple of days."

I smiled, knowingly. If the Cullens had been back for a few days now, and Bella had been absent for a few days of school… well, it didn't take a genius to figure out where she'd been.

"Italy," Edward muttered suddenly, chuckling under his breath. Alice, Bella, Ben and I stared at him with confusion. He simply shook his head and began playing absent-mindedly with a lock of Bella's hair, still gazing at her face.

I watched as Edward grimaced suddenly to himself. He looked up from Bella, towards the cafeteria doors, just like everybody else had been doing earlier. But then, with a grin, he shook his head and planted another kiss atop Bella's head.

Strange.

Neither Edward nor Bella seemed to register the rest of my conversation with Alice and Ben though, until about half an hour later, when Edward finally tore his eyes from Bella's, blinking dazedly like a holy man resurfacing from a trance.

"We'd better get going," he murmured softly to Bella – who else? "I still have to speak to Mr. Banner, confirm my place in your class."

Bella bit her lip, looking to Mike and I for our input. We had biology next, too.

"Go on," Mike told them, obviously sensing their desire to be alone. I nodded back, encouragingly. Bella smiled, waved, and then took Edward's outstretched hand without even having to look down to see it.

Alice rolled her eyes. "I love them both, but really, they've been sickeningly cute ever since we've returned," she sighed dramatically as the two lovebirds walked away. "It's nice to have a breather for a while."

I shook my head, laughing. Alice could complain, but I could tell that she was loving every second of seeing the two of them together again.

"It's great that you're back," I told her with feeling. "Edward, especially. I was worried for Bella. She's been really… down." I finished lamely, not having the guts to admit just how bad Bella had been. I thought with pity once more of those sunken eyes, the deadened expression on her haunted, sallow face.

I stared at their retreating figures sympathetically.

And they stopped.

A few tables away now, Edward flinched suddenly and looked over at me with a burning expression in his eyes. I stared back in shock. What was wrong with him?

He looked...

I couldn't even begin to process what I was seeing.

Alice narrowed her eyes beside me, and he turned his tortured gaze to his sister. She raised one eyebrow questioningly at him, but he continued to look towards her in horror.

What was happening?

Alice said nothing to me, but she stood her ground and continued her attempts to stare down her brother for a long time. Finally, his gaze softened slightly, and he looked down at Bella, who was staring up at him anxiously. He nodded slowly, seemingly to himself, and then took her in his arms. Alice looked satisfied with the end to this bizarre mental showdown, and turned away from the couple.

"Idiot boy," she muttered under her breath as he hugged a still anxious-looking Bella closer to his side. The anguish was still not completely gone from his eyes.

"Edward seems very… upset," I noted, still too shocked to quite know what to say.

"Yeah, Edward was pretty… down, too," Alice said, using my euphemism with a sigh.

"But… but you're staying now, right?" I asked her, anxiously. "Everything's going to be okay now, isn't it?"

Alice looked up at me, then turned to stare at Edward and Bella thoughtfully. Her eyes were strangely glazed over, as if she was seeing something other than the crowded cafeteria before her.

"Yes," she said abruptly, turning back to me with a grin. "Everything's going to be just fine now."

And for some reason, I couldn't help but trust the conviction in Alice's voice.

*

I watched them during Biology. Edward and Bella, I mean. I watched as they spoke only to each other, in low whispers or scribbled notes. I watched Edward Cullen. I tried to count the number of times he took his eyes from Bella's face. An impossible feat, because the boy never once stopped watching her.

It was almost a relief to be further away from them at the end of the day. Our biology lab had naturally seemed tense – a lesson both Bella and Edward shared. Gossip followed them everywhere today, but the hush that had descended upon the students whenever either of them came too close was unnerving.

Ben took my hand as we walked into our Calculus class together. He seemed to be in a good mood – chattering away about yesterday's martial arts lesson and the car he was saving up for. He slid into a seat beside me when we arrived – he used to sit with Tyler, but recently he'd found Tyler's constant egotistical behaviour irritating. Theirs was similar to my own strained relationship with Jess.

Oh, and speak of the devil. Tyler Crowley swaggered past our desk with his friends, who were clinging to his every word, sniggering to themselves.

"I mean, she's a sweet girl and everything, but she did go a bit loopy, didn't she? What's with that?"

I gritted my teeth. They were talking about Bella. Laughing at her. Again. How _dare_ he speak so callously after everything she'd been through?

"So then, I'm like, 'No way! Cullen or no Cullen, she's gotta have some kind of game plan up her sleeve if she's taken him back so quick'. And then _he_ says – "

"Tyler?" I asked loudly, interrupting his speech.

Tyler Crowley turned around, raising his eyebrows at me. My nerves failed.

"Um... could you keep it down or something?" I asked feebly. "I... I have a headache."

It was a lie, but Tyler readily accepted my pathetic excuse.

"Sure, Ang. So, anyway guys, like I was saying, Mike says to me... "

Ben nudged me, questioningly. "You 'kay?"

"Yeah," I groaned. "I'm just sick of listening to everyone gossip about Bella behind her back like she's not a real person."

Ben chuckled. "You're too nice, Angie. It's one of the many things I love about you, but I'm telling you now, you just don't have it in you to be rude. Not even to idiots like Tyler."

His tone of dismissal instantly riled me up again. "Want to bet on that?"

Ben grinned. "Whatever you're thinking, you don't have the guts to – "

"Shut up."

I hadn't been speaking to him, but Ben immediately froze anyway, his mouth open in a very amusing slack-jawed impression of a fish. Well, that's what it looked like, anyway. Tyler stopped mid-rant and gazed at me in apparent confusion.

"Excuse me?"

I snorted. He'd heard me. I'd been perfectly clear.

"Wherever Bella and Edward have or haven't been, it doesn't concern you," I told him, surprising even myself. My voice hadn't quavered on even a single syllable. Ben was still gaping. Now that I looked away from Tyler, I noticed that a lot of the other students in our class were gaping at me, too.

For some inexplicable reason, I found that I didn't care. I'd had enough.

Tyler stood up. He clenched his fists defensively.

"Look, Angela, I don't know why the heck you think it concerns you, but it's a free country, right guys? I can say what I want. Right now, what I want to know is why the Cullens think it's alright to just come and go as they please. And why _Bella_" – he sneered her name – "thinks it's alright to ignore the rest of us and crawl back to his side when he returns."

I stood up too. I wasn't going to let him look down on me.

"You'll have to ask Bella about that, won't you," I told him. "Maybe you'd actually get some answers if you stopped speaking behind her back."

Tyler narrowed his eyes and I felt the first prickle of fear, knowing he was about to make a vicious retort, when –

"Sorry I'm late, sorry I'm late!" Mr Mason announced, stumbling into the class suddenly, books and papers and coffee spilling out of his hands. "Busy day, busy day. But never mind about that. Settle down kids, get your books out and we'll be moving on from quadratic equations to start exploring the – yes, Miss Weber, do you have something to say?"

There had been a collective groan from the class as our perpetually late teacher had finally arrived. The tension had been broken. Tyler had regained his wits and taken his seat.

I was still standing. I wasn't quite sure why. My rash actions seemed to only just be catching up with me.

"I... I'm just..." I trailed off feebly, sitting back in my seat and looking down at the floor.

Mr Mason blinked at me a few times. For a moment, I thought he would demand to know what I had been doing, but after a moment of strained silence, he obviously decided against it, barking out more orders.

"Turn to page 87 then, come on, come on, books out. Sarah – spit that gum out this instant! Chloe, if you'd like to start off the discussion today..."

Ben leaned towards me as our teacher continued to yammer away, oblivious to his students' ignorance.

"That's my girl," he whispered, awe-struck. "I can't believe you just put Tyler Crowley in his place."

Nor could I.

"You're going to make a fantastic teacher one day, you know."

I stared at him. I could feel the blush beginning to rise in my cheeks.

"How... how did you know about that?"

I'd wanted to be a teacher since 1st grade. My own teachers had been so inspirational, so motivating. I could think of nothing else I'd rather do – there was nothing more fulfilling than teaching. But I'd never actually _admitted_ that to anyone.

Ben grinned. "I pay attention. I've seen the universities you're applying to. And you complain about it, but I know you love to tutor me. _And you're good at it_."

I looked away, his words reverberating behind my ears – _you're good at it, you're good at it, you're good at it_...

"Thanks," I muttered. "I... I'm still not sure... there's so much to consider, but..."

"Whatever you chose, you'll be brilliant Angela."

I chanced another glance at him. Ben seemed to be finding my sudden shyness amusing. Not that I wasn't normally shy. But considering my behaviour not five minutes ago, it was pretty stupid to be this embarrassed over a simple talk concerning my future aspirations.

"I'm scared," I admitted. "Tyler is nothing. Just one stupid boy. And I've tutored for you, but it's different. You're a willing student. I don't know if I could deal with a class full. I'm not that brave."

Ben squeezed my hand.

"The Angela I know is brave," he whispered. "If you don't see that, you must not know her very well."

I smiled, my mind still a million miles away, drowning out the class and focusing only on those four important words...

_You're good at it, you're good at it, you're good at it..._

*

"Angela."

Calculus had ended. Ben had gone to fetch a book from his locker and Tyler had practically run from the classroom to avoid his so-called friends who were now sniggering at how he'd been put in his place by none other than Angela Weber.

I'd barely noticed. I vaguely recalled us being set homework. My mind was a daze. It was only the strange acknowledgement of my name that could pull me back to the present now.

My name wasn't called, but spoken softly. Jittery as I was after my run-in with Tyler, it was still enough to shock. I jumped, cursing and almost dropping my books in the process. Aggravated now, I scrambled to shove them back in my bag as I turned to see who had spoken.

Oh. It was Edward. He was talking to me.

_Wait. What? Edward Cullen was talking to me?_

Huh. Well, that was new.

"Oh," I said, before I realised that 'oh' probably wasn't the proper etiquette in this situation. "Um... hi."

Edward didn't seem to notice my confusion or embarrassment. Or if he did, he was too polite to mention it.

"I just wanted to say thank you," he said smoothly, sending my mind whirling. Why was he thanking me? Had news about my outburst actually spread that fast? I'd felt strong at the time, but now I was afraid. I didn't like attention. If anyone were to call me out on it... well, let's just say, crawling into a hole and dying suddenly seemed like a decent plan.

"For being Bella's friend," he continued at my expression of alarm. "I know... I know how she's felt for these last few months, because I've felt the same way. I'm glad that she at least, had someone to watch out for her while I was... away."

His words dripped with utter sincerity. There was no doubting him – I'd seen with my own eyes just how affected he was by Bella's presence. But I felt a blush form on my cheeks as I registered the meaning behind his words. He was... thanking me for... being Bella's friend? It was absurd! I ducked my face and fiddled with the strap of my bag, hoping he hadn't noticed my reaction and wondering if anyone had looked out for _him_ while he and Bella were separated.

And then I remembered somebody else who had looked out for Bella during the last few months. And I knew what I had to do.

"I-It's nothing," I mumbled. "I mean, she and I... we rarely... I don't speak much, and... I just... I don't like to see her hurt. She's a good person, and... she deserves to be happy. But can I make a suggestion?"

Edward had been grinning, apparently amused by my stutter. But now, his smile dropped ever-so-slightly into a frown.

"Of course."

"Thank Jacob Black," I said, hoping I'd remembered the name correctly. "He's a friend of Bella's. He lives on the La Push reservation. He's really helped Bella cope with... well, he's really helped Bella cope. She seemed better whenever she visited him. I'm sure he's done a lot to pull her out of her shell. Not that she needed... I mean... I..."

Despite Edward's earlier claim that he felt the same way Bella did, I trailed off uncertainly. I felt sure I'd said too much – after all, Edward hadn't seen her. He didn't know what it was like to watch Bella drag her body through the day, like a weight pulled through water. He hadn't seen the spark in her eyes on January the nineteenth, when she'd suddenly resurfaced.

Edward's smile was tense. Distracted. But he smiled nonetheless. "Thank you, Angela. I'll remember that."

He turned to leave. But this was a rare opportunity for me – it wasn't often that Edward sought someone out besides his family or Bella. In fact, I highly doubted that anyone else in this school had ever had a one-on-one conversation with the mysterious boy before. I had to make the most out of this time, and there was still one thing that needed to be said. Something important – more important than anything else we'd covered today.

"Oh, and Edward?"

He stopped, turning to face me, one eyebrow raised questioningly. A smile played on his lips, as if he was pleased I'd stopped him. As if he already knew what I would say.

I took a deep breath.

"Thank _you_. For being Bella's... everything. Thank you for coming back to her."

His smile grew to a full grin. I looked away, but I was sure that he was still smiling as I took a step back, remembering now that I'd agreed to meet Ben back at his locker.

So I turned and walked away, awkward and self-conscious, giddy with nerves and adrenaline, but feeling braver than I ever had before.

**

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A/N**: This piece was inspired by Edward's appreciation of Angela in Midnight Sun. I too, was happy that Bella had at least one nice friend.

Reviews would make me happier than Alice on a shopping spree for cute toddler outfits for Renesmee. ('Cause I can totally see Alice as one of those aunts who goes crazy and buys all of those adorable dress-up sets.)


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